FIRST DATA INTERNATIONAL BECOMES GATEWAY FOR
NATIONAL DEBIT CARD TRANSACTIONS IN GERMANY

Bad Vilbel, 4 September 2007

First Data International, a global leader in electronic commerce and payment solutions, is the first independent payments processor approved to offer comprehensive debit card processing services for both cross-border and domestic payments in Germany.

First Data successfully applied to Germany’s ZKA (Central Credit Committee - owner of the national electronic cash system) to act as “Kopfstelle” (a central gateway) for the processing of national debit card transactions in Germany. This means that First Data is now permitted to offer routing and switching services for German banks on both the issuing and acquiring sides of the business. Card issuers can now also call upon authorisation services from First Data in support of their national debit card business, consolidating service provision for the processing of all their debit card transactions.

First Data’s initiative opens-up national debit card processing in Germany to greater competition because banks in Germany were, until now, obliged to use one of four collectively owned “Kopfstellen” as the default gateway.

“Having more choices will be a real benefit to German retail and savings banks,” comments Ernst Verbeek, vice president with responsibility for First Data’s operations in Germany. “We take great pride in being a driving force in further advancing the German processing market. This is also a good example of how we can help make the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) a reality in the European finance landscape.”

About First Data International

First Data International, part of First Data Corp. (NYSE: FDC) is a leading provider of electronic commerce and payment solutions for businesses worldwide. First Data International serves a diverse range of markets, leveraging global scale through a local presence and maintaining focus on individual client needs. The company has more than 8,100 employees and operates across Europe, Middle East and Africa, Latin America, Canada, Australia and Asia-Pacific.

Serving over 5 million merchant locations, 1,900 card issuers and their customers, First Data powers the global economy by making it easy, fast and secure for people and businesses around the world to buy goods and services using virtually any form of payment. The company's portfolio of services and solutions includes merchant transaction processing services; credit, debit, private-label, gift, payroll and other prepaid card offerings; fraud protection and authentication solutions; electronic check acceptance services through TeleCheck; as well as Internet commerce and mobile payment solutions. The company's STAR Network offers PIN-secured debit acceptance at 2 million ATM and retail locations. For more information, visit www.firstdata.com.

For further information:
Carlos Gómez-Sáez
First Data International
Phone.: +49 69 7933 2499
Email: carlos.gomez-saez@firstdata.de

Alexander Zang
Business Communications Consulting
Phone: +49 69 900 28 88-11
Email: zang@bcc-ffm.de